Can you freeze crab legs with out cooking?

by BJ
(Tampa Fl)

We have started catching stone crabs. Was told if you brake one of the legs off and put the crab back in the water it will live and the leg will grow back. My question is, if you break the leg off and put it on ice till you get home can you then freeze the crab leg without cooking it?

Crab-O-Licious.com Replies-Yes. Up here in Dungeness Crab country it is common practice to do exactly the same thing with the Red Rock Crab. (Because only the claws have any significant amount of meat in them).

We also clean crab "live" and freeze the legs without cooking them first. A word of caution: if you are going to freeze raw crab legs (NOT whole raw crab meat), treat it like you would any other frozen raw seafood. In other words, don't let it set around in the freezer for too long before eating them. To avoid freezer burn and extend the period of time you can keep them in the freezer....vacuum seal them. We just had some Dungeness crab legs that we froze raw and vacuum sealed 4 months ago....Still DELICIOUS! Enjoy those crabs!

Getting all the air out while freezing crab legs

What if you don't get all the air out when freezing crab legs?

Crab-O-Licious.com Replies-If you don't have a vacuum pack, simply do your best to get all the air out of the bags before freezing. One tech we use with zip lock bags is...Put the crab legs in zip lock bag and squeeze out as much air as possible without puncturing the bags...

Next, make sure someone "long winded" is around like (my husband) and close the zip lock back almost all closed leaving just a 1/2 inch or so open and suck out the rest of any air there you can! Be careful, though, as you don't want to get any puncture holes in the bags. You'll freezer burn the crab legs or have to start over with a fresh bag.

Without a vacuum sealer, it's nearly impossible to get ALL the air out. You just simply do your best and you're crab will be kept freezer safe!

Crab leg punctured the freezer bag

I had some crab legs in the freezer, I just got them out to thaw and noticed that a tip was poking through the bag. Is it still OK to eat them? There is ice inside the bag now. Thanks for your time.

Crab-O-Licious.com Replies-Unfortunately, punctured freezer bags from crab legs seems to be a recurring problem that even we experience more often than would be preferred. One step I have taken to lessen these occurrences is to cut the sharp tips off of your crab legs prior to freezing them. Although it won't eliminate the problem entirely, it will cut down of the frequency and number of freezer bags or vacuum seal bags that get damaged.

As for your concerns about still eating them.... I would suggest that you treat your crab legs as you would any other frozen food. By that I mean to say that if there is no obvious freezer burn that has occurred, then your crab is most likely still fine and awaiting your Enjoy!-ment!

Can You Re-Freeze Crab Legs?

by Rob
(MN)

Can you refreeze previously frozen crab legs?

Crab-O-Licious.com Replies-Hi Rob! It's a pretty good rule of thumb not to re-freeze previously frozen crab legs. If they were thawed out completely and steamed up we honestly can't advise this to be safe for consumption later to refreeze them.

For sake of not letting good crab go, you could store them in your frig. and reheat them within a few days. Perhaps pick out the meat and try a new dish!?

Is it best to freeze whole raw crab legs or cook them first before freezing ?

Is it best to freeze whole raw crab legs or cook them first before freezing?

Crab-O-Licious.com Replies-Although both are perfectly fine, "best" depends on what you personally are hoping to achieve at the time of boiling/re-boiling. Let me explain.

If you have raw whole crab LEGS and you are wanting to have a more "just caught freshness" dining experience then by all means, freeze them as they are. Vacuum seal your crab legs first if you can before freezing for longer lasting "just-caught" flavor for months to come.

If on the other hand you are not overly concerned about a more "just-caught" flavor, then it is perfectly fine to boil your crab first and then freeze them. Again, vacuum sealing will keep them preserved for longer. Enjoy!

how long can snow crab legs stay out after purchasing them?

by Janice
(Florida)

I just bought some crab legs and forgot to put them away immediately. They were refrigerated. 6 hours went by before I remembered to put them away. They were still cooler than room temperature to the touch. I put them back in the fridge hoping to salvage the jumbo snow crab legs. Any chance I can give them a quick steam them tomorrow?

Crab-O-Licious.com Replies-Of course! You did the right thing and put them in the fridge for safe keeping and kept them cool. There's no reason on earth I can think of why you could have steamed them the next day, so, seeing that I'm late on recovery with this question, I hope you enjoyed them immensely!

You can buy store bought crab legs and store them in the fridge for up to 3-5 days with no worries about whether or not you can enjoy them. But if you decide within a couple days after purchasing the crab legs, that you want them even later, a week or two, then, I would advise to put them in the freezer when you get home. You don't even have to wait to thaw them out. You can just get your steamer hot and take them out of the freezer and place them in the steamer! It just takes a little bit longer to heat them all the way through is all.

But since you are wanting them just a day or two after purchasing them, then, yes, you did the right thing by putting them in the fridge and keeping them cool.

Crab Freezing

by Al
(Canada)

Can you freeze uncooked crab legs?

Crab-O-Licious.com Replies-Hello! The recommendations for properly freezing and keeping crab legs safe to eat at a later time is to boil them first before freezing.So the answer to freezing crab legs ok before cooking them is No! Please, please, please boil them first, then freeze them to enjoy them later as well as your health! I know the methods to keeping crab safe to eat and enjoy can be tedious, but it's sooo worth the time spent.

Do I let Crab Legs cool Completely Before Freezing Them?

I need to freeze my fresh crab legs after cooking them. Do I let them cool completely?

Also, someone told me to let them freeze for several hours and then dip them into a dishpan full of clean water and one cup of sugar and one cup of salt and then place them back in the freezer and then repeat twice, then, put them in plastic bags and freeze until ready to use....please tell me what you think of this method.

As for the above method, honestly, I find it to be a waste of time. Also, thawing and refreezing this way don't seem like method I would use for crab legs. However, you could try it with part of your batch and let us know what YOU think?

Are crab legs still save to eat if they have freezer burn?

by SA
(Colorado)

Are crab legs still save to eat if they have freezer burn?

Crab-O-Licious.com Replies-I do not believe so. In fact I would not eat anything that has been freezer burned. What I would recommend is that you invest into a good vacuum sealer for storing your crab legs in for an extended period of time. We here at Crab-O-Licious have successful stored vacuum sealed, pre-cooked crab legs and whole crab for up to a year without any adverse effects. Well worth the small investment.

Freezing Cooked, Cleaned and Saucy Crab

by Jeanne
(Waretown, NJ)

After freezing cooked, cleaned crabs for a week, can I make sauce with them?

Crab-O-Licious.com Replies-ABSOLUTELY! Why not? After freezing cooked and already cleaned crabs, the sky is totally the limit on what you can do now with your frozen crab! You can make gumbo, a casserole, crab cakes, crab salad, crab soup, crab just-about-anything! If you want to make something saucy and crabby, have at it! I'm imagining a pretty good dish in the making!? Do come back and share it with us! Enjoy that crab! "Catch 'em! Clean 'em! Cook 'em! Eat 'em!"